From 1996 to 2009 the City Fringe Partnership delivered major initiatives to improve the prospects of residents and support London's small businesses.

  1. About the CFP
  2. Achievements
  3. Project case studies
  4. In pictures

Download CFP research on the area and key employment sectors, as well as sector investment plans and evaluation reports of its programmes.

  1. Research

CFP projects, project delivery partners and links to organisations at the heart of CFP activities.

  1. Projects and links

Achievements:

The legacy

  • Better supply chain links between designers and manufacturers.
  • Via Fashion Expo, promotion of quality of London-based production to retail buyers.
  • Twenty new businesses and 30 new jobs created and a further 86 jobs safeguarded by the FSIP.
  • 170 businesses supported in the areas of lean production, promotion and local sourcing.
Model on the catwalk at FashionExpo 2008 Model on the catwalk at FashionExpo 2008

Better supply chain relationships: FashionExpo and the CFP’s fashion projects

In April 2005 the City Fringe was home to 900 fashion industry firms (wholesale, retail, design and manufacture) employing 7,000 people. Fashion represented 22% of all creative firms and 6.2% of all business enterprises within the City Fringe.

In 2006 the CFP secured funding to support London-based fashion manufacturers. Businesses were given individual sessions on planning, lean manufacturing techniques and skills assessments with referrals to training providers. Workshops on new market opportunities were also delivered to export-ready businesses and augmented by 'manufacturing appreciation' courses to improve supply chain relationships, and advise designers on quality assurance and preparing costs for effective production management.

As Linda Persaud, Director of J& R Designs, a fashion business based in Hackney, said "The CFP's programme showed us other things we could be doing. They introduced us to new buyers and new markets, so we were less dependent on just the one contract."

The CFP launched its Fashion Sector Investment Plan (FSIP) in 2007 which identified barriers to competition across the industry. It highlighted the need for better networking among established businesses as well as how new investment could improve skills and develop young talent.

The CFP's support for the HEBA Women's Project in Spitalfields gave more women from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds the opportunity to train in garment production, giving them skills which would lead to flexible employment, providing ESOL and IT training as well as auxiliary services like childcare.

The New Entrepreneurship Programme encouraged ethical and sustainable practices among young fashion entrepreneurs, linking them with leading eco-friendly brands in the fashion industry. Two Community College of Hackney projects gave students experience in costume design and production for the Old Vic theatre as well as City & Guilds qualifications for 14-25 year olds who were not in employment, education or training.

Projects like Understanding the Fashion Industry and Fashion Futures were established to give students interested in a career in fashion the opportunity to learn about the full cycle of garment production, as well as demonstrating how the industry could be a viable route to employment. You can read more about the impact of Fashion Futures on one student from Tower Hamlets here.

Fashion business workshopsfocused on converting buyer interest into actual sales to help small businesses grow. They also provided invaluable insight into the application of technology, such as operating Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) software, and gave businesses access to expert advice on successful retailing, ethical fashion and brand promotion..

Importantly, these fashion businesses needed a platform to showcase their talent. Here Come the Brits took a group of selected designers to New York to promote the capital's rising talent. Preparations included seminars for 80 businesses with 15 selected to be part of the exhibition and catwalk show during New York Fashion Week in 2008.

FashionExpo - a showcase for designers and manufacturers

The CFP invested in FashionExpo - a major industry event specifically for both designers and manufacturers - to showcase how local businesses can meet the fast turnaround, short-run, and design-led demand of London and the export market.

FashionExpo was established by the CFP in 2007 as a way to raise the profile of London's fashion manufacturers and designers and improve supply chain relationships between them. Drawing support from major fashion retailers, the events in 2007 and 2008 gave exposure to a wide range of buyers, press, suppliers and new customers for around 120 local fashion businesses.

High street retailers Debenhams, Hobbs, TopShop and Whistles provided awards to exhibitors which gave them a chance to engage with the retailers on design and production. Each event attracted 1,300 visitors who came to source designs and production services from the exhibitors, attend catwalk shows and participate in industry-led workshops, covering themes such as meeting buyers, ethical production, visual merchandising and PR.

Click here to see a gallery of images from FashionExpo 2008.